Warriors Against Fed Led Ed, when you hear me mention the CCSS Machine, you know I am referring to the P3 (Public Private Partnerships) controlling EVERYTHING connected to education in America. Everything from the laws to the curriculum is included.When I say “Fed Ed”,though, are you thinking only CCSS (Common Core State Standards)?

Fed Ed means SO much more! Here are the top examples: Common Core, Career Tech Ed, Career Tracks/Pathways, Career Clusters, Next Gen, STEM, College/Career Readiness, Challenging State Academic Standards, Future Ready, 21st Century Skills Ready, AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, Early College, Community Colleges, Public Universities, some Private Colleges, Learn to Earn schools, and all the other connecting entities/programs in PreK to Grad School.

Because there is SO much ‘fed ed’, that means there’s LOTS of federal money (aka: your taxpayer burden) to be had.

What’s more, is the CCSS Machine is just itching to help you not only SPEND that money in your schools, but can show you how to get it!

The Money Train Stops Here:

Recently, I saw an article (link is below) about groups sold out to Fed Ed.These groups want to be the ONES to guide you to get the most E-Rate funding for your schoolpossible.

Knowing I’ve written at least 2 articles about how the federal government has used this seemingly innocent fee on your phone bill (or your internet bill) to ram CCSS Machine reform down our throats, I knew I had to find out more. Especially knowing how full of digital upgrades and technology purchases ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) has written in as requirements.

ESSA has also tagged roughly $850 million just for these activities alone.That’s a hefty taxpayer burden, don’t you think? What happens when all that ‘free to your schools’ money runs short? Who picks up the tab? The citizens! Either through an increased tax burden OR a bond (taxes paid later over a long period of time). Trouble is, either way, those paying taxes now will be impacted as well as those who will be paying taxes in the future!

Think of it this way, our money used against us in the name of progress/success/readiness.

Here’s an excerpt from the article, where I learned more about E-Rate/ConnectEd:“Most critically, the agency shifted its funding focus to meet the digital goals outlined in President Obama’s ConnectED initiative: Now, instead of helping schools subsidize their telephone bills and basic internet connectivity as it has done since 1997, the E-Rate program is focused on helping schools obtain affordable high-speed broadband connections to campus (known as Category 1 funding) and Wi-Fi equipment and services (known as Category 2 funding) so they can enable high-capacity digital classroom instruction.The change couldn’t have come at a better time, according to John Harrington, CEO of Funds for Learning, an E-Rate consulting firm. “The need is so great for connectivity inside of schools, and the E-Rate program as it’s designed now is custom-built for this,” he says. “It’s a real game changer.””(*Note: In ESSA, Title One funding has been shifted, too. In that shift are the ‘capital purchases’ schools must make. A capital purchase example is buying computer equipment. Where you’ll find this shift ‘hiding’ is in the update from ‘targeted student support’ to ‘whole school support’.)

Other, need-to-know, highlights of the article include:
1) The author, Heather B. Hayes, goes on to share top tips for schools to get all the access to the ‘free’ E-Rate funding. That is, after she laments that many K-12 schools aren’t lining up in droves to get this ‘free money’.

3) It appears school leaders are having trouble applying for the E-rate funding due to the EPCs (E-Rate Productivity Centers). When I looked these Centers up, it lead me right back to USAC (see #1). Below is a screen shot of the 4 step process. The Centers help you
gain discounts when purchasing digital services for your schools/libraries.

To see the entire illustrated process: http://usac.org/_res/documents/sl/pdf/handouts/application-process-flow-chart.pdf

4) E-rate Funds will be spread out over the next 5 years.

5) The Funds are not meant only to be used for digital technology, but curriculum and other school wide accessed programs/services/resources.

6) Lots of ‘help’ is available to those school leaders applying..non-profits with CCSS Machine agenda are only happy to offer guidance through the mandatory 28 day bidding competitions.

7) The OLC received over $2 million for digital/technology educational alignment from the Gates Foundation in 2015: http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/news_item/online-learning-consortium-expands-digital-learning-initiative-gates-funding/

Closing:

Warriors, no matter who is elected, ESSA and all its mandates, requirements, and related CCSS Machine member groups are going to keep going on with their agenda.
We must use information like this to help expose this agenda.

Warriors Against the Core, I do hope your Labor Day Weekend was tremendous.

A New Lead in My Local Newsletter:

I must admit, Warriors, the CCSS education reform hasn’t died now that ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) is law. BUT what has changed are the ‘in our faces’ moves the CCSS Machine is making when it comes to not just education in the classrooms, but everywhere else, too! As we know the main goal isn’t just transforming education, but rather, our entire nation. Too much research (from this blog and countless other Warriors) has been produced for this to be a fallacy.

So, what could possibly be the ‘new lead’? What newsletter? How is this to impact me when we don’t live in the same location? What does this have to do with the CCSS Machine or ESSA? My dear Warriors, I’m so glad to share the answers below.

First, the short answers. Longer facts will follow.

1) The ‘new lead’ is the local cable company has a new program just in time for ‘back to school’.
2) The newsletter is one which is included monthly in the city utility bill.
3) This is happening everywhere.
4) It connects (literally) your town’s infrastructure to the CCSS Machine and ESSA (via funds). It also takes in WIOA funds.

Fact #1:“My” local cable company is a P3 (public private) partnership/entity. I don’t support it at all. Never have. At that point, my decision wasn’t based on education research. It’s just a bad idea to use public funds for something the town has no right to use as was chosen. Our voices, as taxpayers, weren’t important.
The company’s name? “MI-Connection” (short for ‘Mooresville Iredell-Connection’. (Mooresville is the town, Iredell is the county) To say the enterprise has been welcomed, successful, and problem-free would be an outright lie.
The MI-Connection’s ‘new’ program? It’s called “Reach”. Actually, the ‘Reach Program’ is a 4 year old P3 between the cable company and the local school district. “Reach” stands for ‘Reach Every Available Community Household’ Program.

There are catches each household has to be subjected to. However, before we dig into REACH, look at the picture above. Look at the turquoise color on the right hand side of the emblem. “ALL PROVIDERS WELCOME”. I first shared that emblem not long after ESSA was passed as a way to illustrate the damming strings about to be used against our schools, communities, and homes. It’s happening everywhere, but we must be savvy in seeing it.

The REACH catches (qualifiers) each family must have to be involved in the Program:
a) at least 1 children (4th grade or higher) enrolled in the MGSD (Mooresville Graded School District)
b) enrolled children must also be enrolled in the National School Free/Reduced Lunch Program.

Warriors, we know ESSA promised local control. But have you picked up on the National participation when it comes to lunch?! This is yet another clue that ESSA lies!

Fact #2: MI-Connection serves 3 communities, not just one. If you want to see the REACH webpage, http://www.mi-connection.com/index.php/community/intreachIf you want to learn how the 3 communities are served,http://www.mi-connection.com/index.php/about-usIf you would like to see the 2013 Press Release about the P3 between MI-Connection and the School District, http://www.mi-connection.com/index.php/newsroom/213-mi-connection-partners-with-mooresville-graded-school-districtIf you’d like to see the embarrassment MI-Connection is to NC, this article from the Coalition for a New Economy, is a good one. http://www.coalitionfortheneweconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/10.31.12-GON-MI-Connection-Final.pdf

In the Approved 2014-15 City of Mooresville Budget, look how much the telecommunications company costs. Taxpayer funds are used in supporting this.

Fact #3: Isn’t it enough our taxpayer money is used for the educational alignment to the CCSS Machine? Must it also be our TVs and computers?!

In my “ESSA and Digital Overload” article, I shared with you HOW the TVs and computers in our homes were to be ensnared. Here’s an excerpt, “Pages 485-488: The consortia for digital learning and state funding. What the uses of the funding mean and how they tie to digital overload.Page 630: Preschool and ‘Ready to Learn’ digital content, especially via PBS (Public Broadcast Stations).Page 943 begins Section 9210 of the ESSA Law. This is the biggest overreach of all!Why? “Student Home Access to Digital Learning Resources”! To find out how successful students are at HOME, a Study conducted by the Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) no later than 18 months AFTER all portions of ESSA are in place! Details of the Study will be found on Page 944.” (*Note: entire article, https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/2016/02/04/essa-and-digital-overload/)

The USAC is connected to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), see below.

According to the USAC, they’ve been around since 1997, and are a part of the NECA (National Exchange Carrier Assoc., Inc.) USAC is NECA’s not-for-profit arm. What does the NECA do? They oversee your local telecommunications companies!!

To learn more about USAC, http://www.usac.org/about/about/who-we-are/default.aspx(*Note: be sure to look at the Board of Directors. Especially the representation of the Board. Education and your local cable operators are definitely involved. See: http://www.usac.org/about/about/leadership/bod.aspx )

As far as NECA’s participation, their website explains for you why tariffs (taxes) are collected for telecomunnications is a great thing. Basically it’s for the latest and greatest technology, faster internet service, including the data collection. Did I find any connection between NECA and ESSA? In an unexpected way, yes. See the screen shot:

Is there more, though? Yes, NECA is big on increasing digital literacy in America. I found 3 connected DL (digital literacy) programs to NECA.
One is Digital Literacy from our federal government; another is a national program for connecting students with National Free or Reduced Lunches to the computer; the last one will sell you computers, complete with Windows 10 (a mammoth data mining tool).

To see the sales pitch website service program, http://arrowdirect.com/To see the federal government’s DL website (housed in the National Telecommunications and Information Admin. of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce), http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/(*Note: the name of the initiative, “Connect to Compete”; as in job seekers. Think, ESSA and WIOA.)

The last website will lead us right back to where we began, the REACH program. Remember that one of the qualifications is each participating family must have their child in the National Free or Reduced Lunch Program? Remember how I said this was happening everywhere?! This is the ‘mother lode’! It’s called “Connect2Compete”.

“Connect2Compete” is a flagship operation of “EveryoneOn’s”. What’s “EveryoneOn’s”? Another national non-profit organization dedicated to wiping out America’s ‘digital divide’.

It just so happens ESSA takes full advantage of this. HOW? Well, the Board of Directors former careers plays a part, as does the Advisory Council. Between the Microsoft folks, ConnectEd, and many others, the digital ramping up in our homes, schools, and communities is all but a ‘done deal’. But that still doesn’t answer how ESSA, a national law takes advantage of Connect2Compete. Look below, Warriors:

EveryoneOn also has a 100% give back program where your community-based projects can receive computers. ESSA’s got that angle, too. How, the Wrap Around Student Achievement Supports/Services, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and more! Who helps fund this 100% service? Of the 3 Foundations listed, only one stands out as CCSS related. The Wasserman Foundation. The Wasserman Foundation appears to be rather intimate with the Clinton Foundation, don’t you think?

To learn more about EveryoneOn/Connect2Compete: http://everyoneon.org/about/

To see how literally connected we, as a nation are with EveryoneOn,Use the website address to access the complete list of US locations. To see the corporate partners for EveryoneOn, http://everyoneon.org/partners/(*Note: be prepared to be sadly amazed.)

Closing:

Warriors, it should be easy to see that we have a tremendous amount of digital jargon to combat. Let’s do this! Remember, the CCSS Machine will not stop until It’s in your home. Use your 4th Amendment rights! Use the 10th Amendment.